Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe. Focus on Western Balkans: Neven Andjelic, Cham: Springer, 2022, x + 187pp., £87.50 ebook.

Neven Andjelic's book "Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe. Focus on Western Balkans" examines the impact of the pandemic on democratic standards in Western democracies, particularly focusing on the rise of illiberal practices. Through a comparative analysis, Andjelic highlights how emergency measures during the pandemic led to increased state coercion and weakened democratic principles across various countries. The book also delves into the specific challenges faced by the Western Balkans, characterized by populist democracies and pre-existing socio-political trends detrimental to democratic transformation. Andjelic's research sheds light on the need for a deeper understanding of global democratisation challenges and the potential consequences of using state power for non-democratic political agendas during public health crises. [Extracted from the article]